WWE
– WWE has announced that Dave Batista will be returning to television next Monday night to make a “career altering announcement.”
The injury-prone 40 year old Superstar has been out of action since June when he underwent surgery to repair a torn left biceps. Batista defeated Randy Orton to capture his first WWE title at Extreme Rules on June 7, but was attacked by Legacy the next night on RAW. While Batista had been working injured for several weeks at that point, WWE used the Legacy attack to explain his injury and it was reported that he’d be out of action for at least four months.
In the time that he’s been away from the ring, Batista has been traveling and doing some acting, filming scenes for an independent movie titled “The Wrong Side Of Town” with former WWE superstar Rob Van Dam.
According to a WWE source, the nature of Batista’s announcement has been a closely guarded secret. While the Animal is getting up there in age and has missed substantial ring time over the past several years due to various muscle-related injuries, the general feeling backstage is that Batista is not retiring.
– Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:
The Price is Raw: “I enjoyed Raw. Bob Barker, in his 80’s, did a stellar job hosting Raw. A true pro in a unique environment came thru. Bob proved AARP members can still get the job done. Great work by WWE HOF’er Howard Finkel, too. Johnny Olson & Rod Roddy have nothing on the Fink who was cast perfect in his role Monday night. Great to hear Fink’s voice on TV.”
Jericho & MVP: “Jericho vs. MVP [on Raw] was an excellent outing. Hopefully, their bout will add more interest to Sunday’s PPV. Jericho is truly gifted. Y2J’s interaction w/ Bob Barker was damn good stuff.”
Batista Retiring? “Will Batista announce his retirement Monday in Toronto? I hope not…I think not…but he could. Big Dave has had to battle thru numerous injuries. When is enough..enough?”
NHL
– Leafs GM Brian Burke said that an offer sheet was not forthcoming to Bruins F Phil Kessel at this time. “I do not contemplate an offer sheet to Phil Kessel at this time,” he said to members of the media on Tuesday. Burke then explained how this situation is vastly different from what happened to him in Anaheim when Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe gave F Dustin Penner an offer sheet in 2007. “My objection was that I got blindsided by it at a time I thought was inappropriate. This entire process has involved dialogue with (Bruins GM) Peter Chiarelli. I told him about reacquiring the pick, telling him the night before I got the pick that I intended to get the pick back. There has been no blindside or back door like Kevin Lowe did.” Toronto still has the option to sign Kessel to an offer sheet, but nothing appears to be ready to click right now. Stay tuned.
– Capitals F Alex Ovechkin will reportedly play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia even if the NHL decides not to participate in them. “Nobody can say to me you can’t play for your country in the Olympic Games. I don’t care. I’ll go play in the Olympic Games for my country. If somebody says to me you can’t play, see ya.” The NHL will participate in the 2010 Olympic games, but commissioner Gary Bettman has suggested that the league might not participate in the winter games after that. The NHLPA supports the NHL’s involvement in the Winter Olympics and Bettman plans to discuss the matter with the players union following the 2010 games.
– The IIHF will allow F Jiri Hudler to sign with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. There was a chance Hudler would not receive approval because he signed a KHL contract while simultaneously filing for salary arbitration with the Red Wings. However, an IIHF investigation determined that it was Hudler’s agent who had filed for salary arbitration on Hudler’s behalf and Hudler didn’t sign the filing notice. The IIHF therefore ruled that the arbitration filing was invalid and Hudler could sign with Dynamo Moscow. Red Wings GM Ken Holland had already said Hudler would not be playing for Detroit this season, regardless of the IIHF’s findings.
– The Penguins are looking to re-sign D Sergei Gonchar. Gonchar is in the last year of his deal, but neither side is close to a deal at this point.
– The Hurricanes would like to trade away RFA D Anton Babchuk by the end of the week. The Hurricanes offered Babchuk a one-year/$1M contract but he turned it down and requested a trade. Carolina says they’ve found an NHL team who has serious interest in acquiring Babchuk. Stay tuned.
– Former Nashville Predators investor William (Boots) Del Biaggio was sentenced to eight years in jail on Tuesday for fraud. Del Biaggio also has to repay $67M in the fraud case. Del Biaggio pleaded guilty to securities fraud as he illegally defrauded lenders to acquire enough money to purchase 27% of the Predators. He will start his sentence in January.
MLB
– Cardinals GM John Mozeliak has reportedly discussed a contract extension with 3B Mark DeRosa, who will be a free agent at season’s end. He’s making $5.5M this year and will likely get a raise. According to MLB.com, the Cardinals have apparently soured on giving OF Ryan Ludwick any kind of deal that’s longer than a year. Mozeliak apparently plans to try to go year by year with Ludwick rather than trying to give him a long-term contract.
– Former World Series champion RHP Byung-Hyun Kim is planning on making an MLB comeback. Keep an eye on the Padres.
– Indians OF Grady Sizemore underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his left elbow, one of two procedures he’ll have before next season. The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Mark Schickendantz and was deemed a success. Sizemore is scheduled to undergo lower abdominal surgery next week in Philadelphia. It’ll be a busy offseason of rehab and checkups for the 27-year-old center fielder, but he’s expected to make a full recovery by the start of spring training 2010.
NBA
– The Knicks are apparently getting very close to signing RFA F David Lee and G Nate Robinson to one-year deals, according to New York Newsday. It look like Walsh is going to at least give the two players more money than are in the initial qualifying offers: $2.9M for Robinson and $2.7M for Lee. This will allow the Knicks to hold onto them and still have their contracts come off the books for the big free agency summer of 2010.
– G Allen Iverson has officially signed a one-year deal with the Grizzlies.
– G Stephon Marbury has retired, according to the NY Daily News.
– Talks between NBA executives and the league’s referees broke down on Tuesday, leading to the possibility that replacement referees could be used for the first time since 1995. David Stern called an “abrupt halt” to the bargaining session and the two sides have no scheduled meetings before exhibition games start on October 1st. The league wants to reduce the refs’ salaries by 10%, and a source told ESPN.com, “We anticipate that there will be replacement refs.”
TNA
– Former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout Shelly Martinez (also known as Ariel and Salinas) stated in a video interview with The Heyman Hustle that marijuana saved her life. She admits to being addicted to prescription pills during her time in WWE until a co-worker informed her of the benefits of smoking marijuana.
“Cannabis saved my life. I was going to die. No doubt about it. I was on the wrong path. Now, I’m healthy, happy, pain free, and here to sing the praises of how my life is so much better today because of Cannabis!”
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